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How to Write 皱 (zhòu) — Meaning “wrinkle”

zhòu HSK Level 7 10 strokes Radical: 皮

皱 (zhòu) means "wrinkle" in Chinese. It has 10 strokes with the radical 皮, and is HSK Level 7.

Rated 4.2/5 in difficulty (advanced).

Harder than 74% of HSK Level 7 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 皱纹 (zhòu wén), 皱眉 (zhòu méi), 衣服皱了 (yī fú zhòu le).

Due to its 10 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 皱 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 皱 - zhòu

Practice Writing 皱 (zhòu)

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How to Write 皱

The character 皱 (zhòu) is written with 10 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 皮 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does zhòu (皱) Mean in Chinese?

皱 means wrinkle.

As an HSK Level 7 character, 皱 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character皱
Pinyinzhòu (zhou)
Meaningwrinkle
Strokes10
Radical皮
HSK Level7
Difficulty4.2/5

Origin of 皱

The character 皱 combines the radical 皮 (skin) with 刍, which originally depicted grass or a mowing tool and here serves as a phonetic component hinting at the pronunciation zhòu. The overall structure signifies wrinkled skin, as the skin radical directly points to the surface where wrinkles form.

💡 Memory Tip: Imagine a piece of skin (皮) crumpled like a piece of paper, with the left side (刍) looking like tiny creases or folds.

Common Words with 皱

皱纹 zhòu wén
wrinkles
皱眉 zhòu méi
to frown
衣服皱了 yī fú zhòu le
The clothes are wrinkled.

Example Sentences

他脸上有了皱纹。

tā liǎn shàng yǒu le zhòu wén

He has wrinkles on his face.

你为什么皱眉？

nǐ wèi shén me zhòu méi

Why are you frowning?

这件衣服皱了。

zhè jiàn yī fú zhòu le

This piece of clothing is wrinkled.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
皱 (current) zhòu 10 皮
皲 jūn 11 皮
皴 cūn 12 皮
Stroke order practice for 皱 - zhòu

Practice Writing 皱 (zhòu)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 皱 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 皱

The left side is 皮 (pí), meaning 'skin' or 'leather'. The right side is 刍 (chú), which originally meant 'fodder' but here hints at the pronunciation. Together, they suggest the idea of skin folding or wrinkling.

More HSK Level 7 Characters

伯bó呵hē哎āi哀āi唉āi/ài癌ái艾ài/yì滋zī抚fǔ逸yì昂áng凹āo/wā熬āo/áo奥ào卦guà扒bā/pá芭bā蕾lěi柄bǐng靶bǎ

Characters with Radical 皮

皮pí皲jūn皴cūn皻zhā

Other 10-Stroke Characters

㢆chán㼌yǔ䍃yóu丵zhuó乘chéng/shèng亳bó俯fǔ俱jù俳pái俸fèng